asked the Minister for the Environment the reason for the undue delay in having the town of Clonmel, County Tipperary, designated for urban renewal; when the scheduled designation will take place; and the specific areas and buildings so designated.

13.

asked the Minister for the Environment if he has any plans to allow tax relief for the urban renewal of a number of provincial town centres, including Dungarvan, County Waterford; and if so, if he will make a statement on the matter.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 11 and 13 together.

Fifteen centres have been designated under the Urban Renewal Act, 1986. I am aware that a case for designated area status has been made on behalf of a number of other urban areas, including Clonmel and Dungarvan, but no further designations have been made.

Would the Minister agree that he has no intention whatsoever of designating Clonmel for urban renewal? Is he aware that already Clonmel Corporation, out of their own resources, have expended over £1 million in acquiring, either compulsorily or voluntarily, buildings in the immediate areas of the three blocks that they wish to have designated for urban renewal?

I am pleased to hear that they might have acquired property for their own developmental purposes, but certainly they did not acquire it on foot of any suggestion made by me that the area might or might not be designated now or sometime in the future. The matter is not being considered by me today.

Would the Minister agree that to a deputation to his Department and to himself in January 1988 he implied at least that Clonmel would be designated for urban renewal, that there is great disappointment in Clonmel at present that he has not lived up to this expectation in view of the ever-increasing unemployment at present in Clonmel, and that developers are literally knocking at the doors of Clonmel Corporation asking to be allowed to develop these areas?

I admire the Deputy's effort but I have to say to him that the deputation he referred to took place on 2 February this year and I gave no guarantee about designation. I said if and when any other centres came to be designated I would certainly consider Clonmel carefully. That is what I said and the Deputy knows it.

A final supplementary. Would the Minister be more specific about "if and when"? Could he give some indication so that the people of Clonmel and Clonmel Corporation members can plan accordingly? Could he be specific in indicating exactly the ifs and whens of the designation for urban renewal?

The Deputy's tenacity in this matter has to be appreciated but at the same time I have to say the matter will be considered in due course if and when it is decided to further designate some of the areas. Let me put it to the Deputy, that of the nine provincial centres that were designated in May 1988 some have come on stream well—there is some very good progress and some have been a great success — and some of them have not. I would like to see how they all get on before we think about doing anything further.

Question No. 14.

Does the Minister envisage designating any new areas during 1989——

That is a separate matter. These questions refer to specific townships.

In either of these two areas?

I would consider that.

Question No. 14.